I was corrected by daughter Judy and my son-in-law, Charles, that though I'm only 99, this is my 100th Christmas ... since I was only 4 months old at my 1st Christmas. As a child, my brother and I usually received one gift each along with additions to an electric train that was brought out of storage each year. The tree was set up by Santa after we went to sleep on Christmas Eve. My parents did not attend Church regularly. Mother was a Baptist and my Dad was Episcopalian. I was an alto, and later a tenor in St. Andrews Episcopal Church Boy's Choir in Tampa. Merry Christmas everybody!

 In early June I suffered a Menieres 'event' which caused me to fall and thrash about enough to wreck my computer room and put me in hospital for four days. I have no memory of this. In fact I have lost access to a lot of my 'stored' knowledge. I have become quite feeble and recovery is very slow. I am most fortunate to have two wonderful daughters and their families who make it possible to endure a little longer. Last month I reached my 99th year.

Three years ago I wrote On Death:

For all of its shock, there is much to be said in favor of 'sudden death'. The continuous impact on family and friends by those of us who live 'too long', though unintended, is torture. This statement is only a comment, as I am not a believer in suicide ... except .... for individuals suffering from incurable, unrelenting and overwhelming pain.

As we age, the joys that we enjoy gradually disappear. Our sensory systems degrade and, one by one, gradually, no longer function.  What joy remains for the blind artist, the deaf musician, the toothless  gourmet, or the scientist who can't recall what 𝛑 is. Also. The brain starts losing connections, perhaps randomly, but usually short-term 'working memory' goes first. One realizes that they can't carry an idea from one room to the next.  The aging person will ultimately lose control over many bodily functions and finally over any aspect of their life. The impact on carers and caretakers is enormous. But.

The impact is increased several orders of magnitude when one cares for someone with 'early dementia' or Alzheimer's as happened with my late, great friend, Daniel Sears Dearing. In caring for his wife, Betty Bessent Dearing, he endured not only the loss of his lifelong love and companion, but the rage she expressed at the 'unknown man' in her home.